Thank you to Penguin Viking for sending me a copy of 𝗖𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗟𝗬. This was another brilliant readalong with the Squadpod, and Annie Garthwaite was so generous with her time, also joining in with a Q&A over on Twitter.
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𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻. 𝗔 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀; 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁.
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What an opening! Definitely one of the best opening lines/paragraphs I've come across as a reader and it had me hooked in immediately.
Cecily is a historical fiction novel, which focuses on The War of the Roses. But rather than it being the same history we learned in school, it is told from the perspective of the women involved. These women were not just bit players forgotten to history, and Annie Garthwaite really brings their stories to life in her novel.
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𝗖𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗴𝗼. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲? 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗶𝗳 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.
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It is clear that Garthwaite has put an incredible amount of research into her novel. Readers who are fans of history and who know the details of The War of the Roses will absolutely appreciate the finer points that have been included here.
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"𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻?"
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀.
𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲.
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Even for readers who are not overly-familiar with the history, the novel is still an interesting and entertaining read.
If you aren't a history buff already you will definitely learn a lot from the novel, and there is a handy family tree in case you do lose track of who people are.
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'𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁?'
𝗖𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿; 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲.
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Given the feminine perspective, the story does reference key elements of what a woman's experience would have been like during the 1400s. Even women from wealthy families had a hard time.
From essentially being owned by your father and used as a commodity in an arranged marriage, to bearing the expectation to produce plenty of children and primarily sons as heirs, it truly was a man's world.
There were very specific dangers faced by women during this time period, all centred around how much they pleased the men in their life: death during childbirth; death due to not producing children, or not producing any boys; death due to being accused of witchcraft, and; death due to suspected treason.
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'𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘇𝘇𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱.'
'𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗱, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀.' 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘀. '𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘁.'
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Cecily by Annie Garthwaite really does bring a voice to the women who are often overlooked from The War of the Roses.
There is no doubt that many of these women played more of a part than history would lead us to believe, and I love that with these feminist historical fiction books they are no longer left at the sidelines.
Move over Cirsei Lanister, Cecily has arrived.
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𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱.
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I definitely recommend Cecily for fans of historical fiction, especially if you do enjoy the history element. It was definitely an interesting feminist spin on the usual history you usually hear.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm not sure what to make of Cecily. Garthwaite's prose is classy and deftly establishes the characters and what drives them. Cecily herself is a fascinating and overlooked historical figure. Garthwaite's depiction of her as an intelligent and fierce woman who passionately loves her husband, the Duke of York, is compelling. The book is at its best when the two of them verbally spar, Cecily, urging York to be more ambitious and ruthless in order to protect their family while York feels that this is best accomplished by being loyal almost to a fault.

That said the novel features significant time jumps which I felt a bit jarring. As a result, it drifted a bit in the middle until the final conflict is set up. Despite being told in the 3rd person, the narrative focuses on Celcily's experiences and as result, I occasionally felt a bit lost as to the context in which certain things happen. I also took issue with the depiction of King Henry VI. While not a great king he did lay the foundations of institutions that the UK still benefits from today. For a novel looking to challenge traditional narratives, I felt more could have been done around this. Cecily by Annie Garthwaite

For the most part, Garthwaite writing is engaging. Cecily is a complex and formidable character that hooks you in. However, the book suffers from uneven pacing. I was tempted to give this four stars. A really good debut novel.

Excellent historic tale depicting events at the time in an enthralling narrative. It is truly evocative cod the era and puts flesh on the tale of a lesser known strong female character who will have had an amount of influence within her family royal circle.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite tells the story of the beginning of the War of the Roses from the perspective of Cecily Neville, the Duchess of York.

I love history that reads like and adventure and this is a real page turner even though I knew the story of the Brothers York and how it would turn out. Centring the story on the matriarch of the family rather than on the male actors provides a brilliant perspective and probably gives room for more characterisation and historical context.

This is how to bring history to life, although I am not qualified to assess what mistakes, if any, Garthwaite has made.

A sumptuous rich history-laden gift of a book. Cecily Neville is married to Richard of York, who is part of Henry V's court. We first meet her in 1431 at Joan of Arc's burning where Cecily's strength of character and keen awareness of the image she is portraying comes through.
The story moves through the next few years with areas of France being gained and lost by the English army. Cecily and Richard are key characters and its fascinating to learn about the role that women could play in planning battles and war tactics. Cecily and Richard have children, not all of whom survive, and history shows us that the children grow into being powerful sovereigns and leaders.
So much historical detail is woven into the book, its not one to be rushed but to be savoured as we see the part that Cecily and Richard play in British history.

Cecily, the story of Cecily Neville up to, and including 1461, is a wonderful retelling of her story.

Cecily is told from Cecily's point of view, as such, there are some things that she can't know or witness, and the author manages this incredibly skillfully. We know what Cecily does, and we know other events when she knows them. It's a perfect way to ensure the reader, even if they know the history of the time period, doesn't get ahead of themselves.

Cecily is an engaging and headstrong woman. The author gives her a voice that we can understand, reflecting a quick intelligence and an ability to piece together events skillfully. Some scenes may feel rushed, and there is a refusal to dwell on the royal splendour of the court, but I think this added to the story. It is the interaction of the king, queen and the courtiers that's important, not who was wearing what and eating what. This is absolutely my sort of historical fiction book.

I only wish I'd read it sooner.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

An interesting book about Cecily Neville, wife of Richard of York and mother of two Kings during the wars of the roses. One of British history's biggest players that has been overlooked by many modern historians.

The authors note is particularly interesting about how female empowerment hasn't been linear. Cecily was a woman that was expected to do it all: bear children (without any of the medical intervention of today it was highly dangerous), run a household, manage a business of lands and estates and you know, try to take over the monarchy...

I wonder if there'll be a book 2 as this takes us up to Edward York taking the crown and I wonder what Cecily made of her other son Richard 3rds actions?

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn’t heard of Cecily Neville and wasn’t exactly sure where she was within the characters I already knew in the period just before the cousin’s wars better known as The Wars of the Roses. I was familiar with women like Jacquetta Rivers, Elizabeth Woodville and Warwick, The Kingmaker, from my reading of Philippa Gregory. I was also aware of Anne Neville and Isobel Neville, Warwick’s daughters, who married the Duke of Clarence and Duke of York, later to become Richard III. I hadn’t realised that Cecily Neville was the mother to both those boys and King Edward IV. I was only a few chapters in before I realised that Cecily and I share a grandmother (well to me a great-grandmother goodness knows how many generations ago) Katherine Swynford. In fact Katherine lived around five miles from me, at both Torksey Castle and Kettlethorpe Hall in Lincolnshire. She was mistress, then wife of John of Gaunt and for a short period was Queen of England. One of her daughters, Joan, is the mother of Cecily Neville. The pair, Katherine and Joan, are buried not ten minutes from where I write this, in Lincoln Cathedral. There is something very exciting in reading about your ancestor, so it did change the experience of the book for me.

The opening scene, at the burning of Joan of Arc, is one of the most powerful I have ever read. Cecily narrates in the first person:

‘It’s no easy thing, to watch a woman burn. A young woman, who has seen only three more summers than yourself and claims the voice of God compels her actions. But there it is; the day’s work. And she must harden herself to it.’

It sets the scene for the rest of the novel perfectly, it gives us a jolt and prepares us for how brutal this period of history was. It gives us a sense of how women are treated, especially those who explicitly disdain the rules of society. Joan of Arc didn’t play by the rules. Cecily is determined to shape her own future, but though words and ideas instead of action. Court is a deadly game of chess and Cecily is always on her guard. Make no mistake this is a woman’s side of court life. Where her ideas and beliefs are put across, whether at the King’s council or on the battlefield, only men are present. We hear about battles through messengers, and the men left standing afterwards. We hear about the King meeting his council through Cecily’s husband Richard. Yet the idea starts when both of them talk last thing at night or out hunting, just the two of them so no one else can hear. Cecily campaigns through letters, befriending influential women and petitioning the Queen - although in this case she believes the Queen is truly the one in charge anyway.

Without her husband Richard though, Cecily would have no avenue to pursue her plans. This is an arranged marriage, as we see in the book the family are already marrying off their eldest daughter at the age of 10. After the ceremony, the young bride and groom go back and live with their families until the age of fourteen or fifteen when the bride and groom go to live in their marital home together. So, Cecily would have had the same rules apply to her match. Luckily it appears to have been a good match, in business and pleasure. Most importantly for Cecily, Richard regards her as an equal and listens to her in courtly and political matters. His respect for her, which seems unusual for the time, means that the men of her household and her sons listen to her as well. They value her judgement and her ability read a situation and the people involved. However, being a courtier isn’t an easy life. I won’t reveal the plot, but I will say that when you’re at the beck and call of a King, you have to hope that King is of good judgement and sound mind.

One aspect that really stood out to me, was that all the women are deeply affected by their fertility, or lack of it. Cecily and Richard have been married for eight years at the start of the book, but still haven’t had a living child. In fact by the end of the book, I couldn’t keep up with how many times she had been pregnant. There is a period in the middle of the book where she realises she’s been pregnant for the majority of the last few years. I was also surprised by the breadth of the families, with mothers still being pregnant at the same time as their elder daughters. When any woman in the book delivers a son I could feel their relief. Everything must be inherited by a son, who continues that aristocratic line. These years of wrangling over who has the strongest claim to the throne, as well as the death of his own elder brother, make sense of Henry VIII’s obsession to produce an heir. I think the author captures beautifully the pressure these women feel. Their sense of loss, even though infant mortality rates must have been quite high, runs deep. Giving birth is very much women’s work, and the blame for what they do or don’t produce sits squarely with them. It’s hard to imagine not being able to control your fertility; to decide when to start or when to stop having children.

The story flowed well, and for me could have benefitted from being slightly longer. There were large time jumps in a couple of places and I did have to keep looking people up, checking family trees and names as opposed to titles. That was me trying to make complete sense of it, to fit this piece in to the larger jigsaw I was more familiar with. This was a fascinating piece of history, bringing to life another incredible woman from this time period. She sits with Joan of Arc, and her contemporaries Jacquetta Woodville and Margaret Beaufort, as women who know how to fight a war of words. Like present day spin doctors they weave the tale they want the court and the country to see - Cecily suspects the Queen of weaving the most audacious tale of all. I was left with the sense that courtly life is a living game of chess, with human pieces. Those close to the throne could be lucky enough to remain in favour, but more likely are only two moves away from ruin. As for the ending, those with historical knowledge will be aware that Cecily’s schemes are only successful to a point and there is even more turmoil beyond the book’s final pages.

She is remembered as the mother of two Kings of England and grandmother to a Queen, but the painful truth is she outlived all of her sons. Even worse, she had to witness their treachery and betrayals of each other, including the disappearance of her eldest grandsons (and heirs to the throne) from the Tower of London, never to be found. Six years before Cecily’s death, her granddaughter Elizabeth married Henry VII finally uniting the houses of York and Lancaster. She even lived to see the birth of her great-grandson Henry VIII. Annie Garthwaite has fictionalised the life of a very powerful and intelligent woman, who has a much bigger hand in history and my own ancestry than I’d realised. Her work is well-researched, creating a book that is horrifying in places, but ultimately a compelling piece of historical fiction.

This is appearing on my blog next week, once the current blog tour is ended.

As a young girl, Cecily Neville marries Richard, Duke of York, who is desperate to prove himself to King Henry VI after his father was executed for treason. They spend many years in France, trying to hold onto English lands while receiving no support from the court. As Henry’s behaviour deteriorates, Cecily and Richard have to decide whether to continue to support him, or to snatch power away.

The Wars of the Roses are an area of history that I find especially interesting, but I knew little about Cecily Neville before I read this book. As mother of both Edward IV and Richard III, she has an important part to play, but she has been ignored for far too long. Annie Garthwaite has decided to change this, and has centred the events around her. From being present at the death of Joan of Arc, through 12 pregnancies and the tragedies they bring, right up to the coronation of Edward, Cecily led a life full of drama and intrigue.

An engaging read, well written and all the more incredible for being the debut novel of Garthwaite.

Cecily – Annie Garthwaite

When I picked this up, I didn’t realise it was about a real life person, and I certainly didn’t appreciate the story I was going to be plunged into. I think this is part of the point of the book, to be honest – not many people (outside of fans of history and historical fiction, of course) know about Cecily Neville. I really don’t know a lot about our history – something that I’m trying to remedy, as I do think it’s really interesting. I have the Hilary Mantel Cromwell trilogy on my 2021 TBR too, so let’s see how that goes.

The first person perspective was really interesting, and seeing the political manoeuvrings between houses, men, women and children, was fascinating. It’s like real life chess, where you have to think ten moves ahead of your opponent. Except in this instance it’s your head you lose, not just the pawns on the chessboard. The view of the courts in the UK and Europe was interesting – the relationship between England’s parliament and the Royal court, the close links with France and Spain, with inter-marrying and the fact that everyone could speak at least French and English. Latin too, probably.

Although I found Cecily to be an interesting character, and definitely want to find out more about her and her life, I didn’t get a sense of her. I felt like we were told about her, that she loves her husband and her children (some more than others, perhaps) but I still didn’t get a huge amount of personal insight. I wonder if that’s the challenge with a real person as your main character – the research is so meticulously completed that there’s not a lot of room to make her into your own drawing of a person, with likes and dislikes.

The other challenge with historical fiction is, I think, one of the joys if you know the time period well. It’s not enough to read the book, but you also need to read the Wikipedia entries, other books, blog posts etc to ‘get’ all of the references. I didn’t have a clue what was going to happen to Richard of York, any of their children or with the various political machinations and plans. Clearly, three minutes of wiki-walks and I’d discovered the link between cute baby Dickon and Richard III, which anyone else would have already known and enjoyed the sideways glance in the book. Sometimes it feels like a series of in jokes you just aren’t part of. That’s okay, really – you can’t explain everything in every book as to do so would be boring. It’s almost like there should be a little intro for people who don’t know their Wars of the Roses history.

I did like the conversations that Cecily had with Richard, her husband. Discussing strategy, providing counsel, working together to attain the highest title, was all written well and I felt that I understood their relationship. Women in that time, I gathered, were clearly mainly for providing heirs but also, could hold their own land and titles.
I think I got a bit frustrated that there seemed to be a bit of a monotonous pattern for Cecily – she’d get pregnant, leave for somewhere house with her husband and household, and so on. The life of a titled family, I know. It wasn’t always the most interesting narrative, but perhaps that’s because I read the last half over the course of a day, which brings out the repetitions of ‘netting hands’ and others which I would perhaps not have seen otherwise.
Ultimately, Cecily seems to be happy enough but it never got easier to read about her babies, still born or dying within days of being born. Giving birth in that age was so risky – it’s still risky now, so I can’t imagine what it would have felt like then, to know that each child might kill you. It’s no wonder that there is a huge list of superstitions, of ‘lying in’ and surrounding yourself with other women, holding various trinkets and drinking herbal remedies. I would have done that too.

I enjoyed this, I learned a lot about the monarchy and bringing them to life on the page certainly does make it interesting. If anyone has any other historical fiction (or non-fiction!) please feel free to recommend it. I’m looking forward to what Annie Garthwaite does next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viking for the DRC, as always!

I loved Cecily from the very start of the book. A strong and fiercely intelligent woman who was not content to sit back and let history take her where it will, I rooted for her from start to finish. Married at a young age to the son of a traitor, Richard of York, Cecily is as determined as her husband to win back his dukedom. We follow their story to France and back, and through the emotional rollercoaster that life so close to the king, particularly as potential heir, and therefore threat, to the throne brings. Cecily never gives up, refuses to give in to situations where others may have faltered, and we also see the genuine love and affection between her and her husband. A delight from start to finish.

A fascinating historical fiction novel that was very well researched. I didn't know much about this era so I loved learning more about the War of the Rose and Cecily. She was a strong, independent woman who was beautifully written by Annie Garthwaite. A book that will stay with me and would definitely recommend to historical fiction fans.

Cecily is historical fiction at it’s best. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel as the writing and research required to write Cecily’s story is just brilliant.
Cecily is one strong woman - feisty, intelligent and determined - she will stop at nothing to protect her own. I loved the relationship between her and Richard and thought it really interesting how much of her council he listened to. Cecily is portrayed so emotionally but her flaws aren’t hidden, meaning it makes her so much more relatable. She never apologies for who she is which makes her more stronger than ever.
A brilliant piece of history telling and one I’d recommend completely.

I'm a big fan of historical fiction and really love learning more about our true history. This book is written from a point of view of Cecily Neville. It appears to be superbly researched and I thought it was really beautifully written. I will definitely be reading more and educating myself more about the time that preceded the war of the roses and after.

I have a love-hate relationship with Historical Fiction. On the one hand I love exploring different historical periods through stories, but on the other hand I have a difficult time when fiction interferes too much with fact, and vice versa. I was immediately intrigued, however, by Cecily, and I'm glad to say it completely lived up to my expectations. Thanks to Fig Tree and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What first drew me to Cecily was the cover. While the old adage that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover is admirable, it also belies human nature. We're quick to make snap judgements, it is often useful for survival. Admittedly snap judgements are also frequently incorrect. In the case of Cecily I liked that the first thing that drew my attention was a multitude of things. On the cover, Cecily is surrounded by labels, by snap judgements others have made of her. She is a multitude of things, she cannot be defined by a single thing. It is a great way to introduce Cecily, both the woman and the novel. In her Acknowledgements, Garthwaite discusses her fascination with the fine line between history and story. As another old phrase goes, history is written by the winners. While much can be certified, the ways in which history comes through us is mostly through stories, which stir emotions and confirm biases. Garthwaite also acknowledges the major power noble women held during the Middle Ages. Cecily makes for a fascinating insight into a woman who was the mother of kings, but whose own relevance has, unjustly, faded.

Cecily starts with the burning of Joan of Arc. Yes, that's only the beginning and it is a stark warning to Cecily and the reader that echoes throughout the novel. If a woman decides to take centre stage, to involve herself in politics, to make enemies, she better be aware of the consequences. Being a woman is no protection and navigating the political turmoil of the War of the Roses is no easy ride. I don't know as much about late-Medieval English history as I, perhaps, should. Tudors, Lancastrians, York, I am aware of these houses and their importance, but the minutiae of their struggles are vague to me. While Cecily is solidly historical fiction, it was a beautiful way to learn about this period through the eyes of one of its main players. We follow Cecily Neville from her late teen years to middle age, to what is, perhaps, a moment of glory. For the 40-odd years in which we accompany her, we come to know Cecily in and out. We see witness her victories and her pain. We get to celebrate with her, but also sit at her side as she makes difficult decisions and copes with losses. What this creates is a full picture of a complicated, driven woman who tried to play the game to the best of her abilities. Throughout it all, Cecily is sharp and determined, full of love but also able to sacrifice. Cecily is surrounded by a set of major historical figures, from King Henry IV to to Phillip III. While Richard plays a major role, I was captivated by Cecily's relationship with other women, whether it was Annette or Marguerite of Anjou.

Annie Garthwaite has written a beautiful book. She fully brings Cecily Neville to life, warts and all, while vividly describing fifteenth century England. There are so many details in Cecily which utterly struck me, whether it was the practice of churching or the detailed descriptions of gowns, manuscripts, churches and landscapes. (When we come to the Battle of Wakefield I legitimately shed a tear.) Against this stunning backdrop, Cecily shimmers. She isn't always likeable and not every choice she makes will strike the audience as equally fair. While Garthwaite doesn't play the apologist, she makes clear what Cecily's choices were and what traditions constrained her. A major element of Cecily is the political intrigue at court, the need to bide ones time and the urge to strike when the iron is hot. I loved the political back and forth, the crisis meetings, the hushed treason discussed in quiet corners. Garthwaite writes Cecily chronological, but not necessarily fully. Each chapter covers a set amount of time, but this can be 10 years or 3 months, which means that Cecily is never dull. While we may never know exactly what Cecily was truly like, Garthwaite has utterly brought her to life.

Cecily is a stunning novel, beautifully written and never dull. History comes to life in Garthwaite's hands and her Cecily will stay on your mind for a long time.

I wrote a super detailed review of this book.
It seems it might not have been saved.

I’ll try again.

In the style of Phillippa Gregory, but not so easy to read. The character development was slow and challenging, while the story was thrilling. Historical period between the more popular stories. Really enlightening about the role of females, even well to do wealthy females from influential families. You ladies have just one job! Or maybe also to keep your man happy!

The piece that I found challenging was the inversion of the story in almost every single chapter. At first it was really annoying, but by the end, once I stopped fretting about this inversion, it was just super tedious. What mean is that each chapter started at or close to the end of a scene or tale, probably for some kind of drama. But the reader had little idea of the characters involved, what on earth was going on, or why it was happening. To start with, I grabbed Wikipedia each and every time to try to piece together what on earth was happening. Eventually I learnt to simply plot on through the confusion, because eventually it would be explained. I found this super frustrating. Especially for almost every chapter.

I love this genre as I was a terrible history student, but the fictional history really does send me to the factual story, and visiting historical locations to fill out and substantiate the fiction. But I’m not convinced I’d choose this author if the same character was available written by another.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I've read a fair few books about the Wars of the Roses but never from this perspective and I've never seen a discussion of Cecily Neville. She is a fascinating character who deserves to be held up against Thomas Cromwell and Elizabeth Woodville as one of the key players in this period of English history. Garthwaite's writing is spare but expressive and she covers a large span of time without losing the intimate nature of the characters. I'd love to hear more about Cecily in the future.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite
This is an excellent historical novel which explores the life of Cecily Neville, granddaughter of John of Gaunt and Kathryn Swynford and a woman at the heart of the War of the Roses. The novel gives the reader the historical context for Cecily’s life and there is a gripping plot which draws you in. The character of Cecily and her husband the Duke of York are well drawn and she is shown to be a strong woman who is an excellent strategist and strives to secure a prosperous future for her children captivating plot. Her fascinating life is transformed into a gripping novel which captured my attention.

Prior to reading this novel I knew little about this formidable woman who was mother to Edward IV. In fact little has been written about her in the past and it is interesting to see the power which this woman was able to wield. The author creates a story that felt relevant for women today.
The author portrayed Cecily as a strong, independent, intelligent woman who was able to argue her case to the highest level. She was a pillar of strength for her husband and her family, and she made no excuses for it.

I enjoyed this book and feel she brought this powerful woman of history to life. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite

We follow the life of Cecily Neville, wife of Richard Plantagenet, as she plays the role of mother, wife and politician through the 1400s.

At the age of nine, Cecily was married off to her husband who was now a disgraced Duke thanks to the actions of his father. Garthwaite’s writing highlights how often women were used as pawns to power and social movement, instead of relationships being centred around love. This being said, I loved reading the relationship between Cecily and Richard that is full of trust, truth and true love. It was great seeing the way in which Richard would take his wife’s advice and seeing her as an equal, as opposed to a subordinate.

Their relationship is not smooth sailing, with Richard being central in the tensions between England and France. On top of this, Cecily gives birth to 12 children, although many die very young. I thought the detail surrounding miscarriage and the loss of a child was done extremely well as it portrayed the raw emotions felt in times like this.

I absolutely LOVE a historical fiction from the female perspective! When I think back to my history classes at school I don’t remember a single woman being mentioned and so we forget the role women played in history. This is such an incredible retelling that puts women in the spotlight, with men at the peripheries!

If you are a fan of historical fiction novels and feminist stories, this one is for you🧡

⚠️TW// child death, miscarriage, violence, infertility

One of my ultimate reading pleasures is well-executed historical fiction (ESPECIALLY if it is set during the Early Modern Period. And obvs I am always here for feminist retellings and old stories recast from female perspectives. So Annie Garthwaite's CECILY (a BIG, hotly tipped release for this summer) was bound to tick all my boxes. Cecily Neville (mother of Edward IV and Richard III) is brought vividly to life here: a totally fascinating and formidable heroine. This bold novel, clearly written with real passion and knowledge of the period offers up a new take on The Wars of the Roses, showing how, whilst men did their fighting on the battlefield, some noble women (Cecily, along with Marguerite of Anjou and, later, Margaret Beaufort) might wield influence and become players in their own right. The portrayal of woman's lot (ie. bearing a male heir to continue the bloodline) feels searing at times; Cecily spends much of the book pregnant, grieving multiple losses and taking dangerous risks to protect her brood. The novel convincingly captures the intrigue, peril and fluctuating fortunes of the era, and women's place with in it.